This should look like the view through a small refractor assuming you're using an Amici prism diagonal. In my original photo the nebula had a distinct blue/green tint which I have removed since it always looks grey monochrome to me through my 80mm refractor.

That is why people are put off Astronomy, THIS is the sort of images that need to be shown in magazines, showing what the beginner should expect

I agree that magazines need to show full colour images but they give the wrong impression, people go out and buy a £1-300 scope and think they will see full colour eyepiece filling shots when in reality they see this.

I would like to see more of these "real" images along side in magazines.

As usual two months after Christmas there will be hundreds of cheap scopes back on ebay from disappointed users.

I agree with you, Skyhawk, on this. Those fancy brightly-coloured pictures on the boxes in which the scopes are packed must also ,"deceive to make a sale", along with impractical magnifications and drawings of huge planets and brilliant comets. Generally the nighttime skywatcher is presented with a basic black and white view with subtle tinges here and there. If one wants to see bright colours in the sky the best time in around dawn and dusk, and during the day with rainbows, sundogs and some haloes! Regards maf.

Yes...I do agree that telescope makers' marketing departments can get a bit carried away sometimes.

Another thought is that where I live the skies are fairly dark. For many living in built-up areas, their small refractor would show them even less.

Travelling to a dark sky site and/or getting a bigger telescope can help, of course, if you don't mind the added inconvenience.

But there is hope! Put a camera on your telescope and you can start to see a lot more, as many images in this gallery show very nicely.

Agreed but 1. Most beginners and some like me don't want to image and 2. People as said by the above poster MAF, are conned by (in my words) LIES on boxes offering 500x mag from a 2" scope or images of a lovely 3" Jupiter/Saturn.

In fact if the case was taken up they are illegal, false representation, and misleading, they do not state on the boxes that this is only what you will see if you use a camera

Dear al(L)I can understand some of the concerns about disappointing views some people get looking through new telescopes. However, Nissan may have the ultimate answer unveiled at this years Hanover Motor Show recently. It's their Nissan Navara Dark Sky, Pick Up truck complete with ultra high performance Plane Wave Telescope. When observing at night the vehicle & scope only use red light & have reflective orange piping on seats aiding visibility inside the vehicle but not destroying observers dark adaption. So after they sell their disappointing telescope Xmas presents they can get the new Nissan gear which will solve all their astro-observing problems.Best of luck from Cliff

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